Oklahoma QB John Mateer has Grown From 'Uncomfortable' Rewatches of Alabama and Texas Defeats

John Mateer took time to learn from his 2025 season — both the good and the bad.

Mateer was at the center of Oklahoma’s victory over Michigan, and he helped the Sooners reel off four straight wins to close the regular season and reach the College Football Playoff.

But he had two major low moments, in losses against Texas and Alabama, that he forced himself to learn from.

“I’ve watched it,” Mateer told SEC Network on Monday at SEC Media Days. “I’m not going to say I watch it all the time. It’s very uncomfortable to watch. It really is. I learned a lot.”

“It sucked it really did. … Even though I failed … I learned so much.”@OU_Football's John Mateer on the lessons he learned from last season. pic.twitter.com/ys3R6zwv6G
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 20, 2026

Seventeen days after his thumb surgery following the win over Auburn, Mateer threw three interceptions in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.

In the CFP, his Pick Six helped open the door for Alabama to roar back into the game.

“I think the one play against Alabama, they got me. They did. It was a bad play,” Mateer said. “ … I’ve thought about it a million times. So you learn that every play is different. And you go through your reads and you learn and there’s keys on every play. I’ll be better for it. It sucked. It really did. I’ll be honest.”

Mateer also acknowledged the pain he’s felt all offseason watching the film from his bout with the Longhorns, though there was one silver lining.

“Coming back 17 days after (surgery) — I’m glad I did it because it showed me that you can fight through a lot even though I was obviously not 100 percent,” Mateer said. “It was a very difficult thing to do. But I’m glad I did. Even though I failed, I’m glad I put myself in a vulnerable position because I’ve learned so much. And when I think about the Texas game, I think about how much I’ve changed and learned from the game as a person because obviously it didn’t go well.”

Mateer has worked to improve his game across the board. There was a large focus placed on improving his mechanics throughout the offseason, and he has spent plenty of time in the film room with both offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and head coach Brent Venables.

“Coach Venables, from the top, he’s obviously very smart,” Mateer said. “He’s very, very smart. So you just learn the game of football in general.”

The Oklahoma quarterback hopes to master balancing his natural urge to make off-schedule plays with making the right read and the simple play when necessary in 2026.

“The quarterback’s job is to get the offense moving,” he said. “… If I want to play the game a long time, I have to be able to do it.”

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